'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol:12

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http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/tickets_080925.html

On Wednesday, October 1, 2008, starting at 10:00 a.m., the Detroit Pistons will make individual game tickets for their 2008-09 campaign available. Tickets can be purchased at The Palace Box Office, online at www.pistons.com, by calling 248-377-0100 or at any TicketMaster outlet.Tickets in various price ranges will be available at all outlets, with the exception of the most inexpensive seats in the building at $10. The $10 price range seats will only be available at The Palace Box Office, all day on Wednesday. The $10 seats will be available at all points of sale beginning Thursday, October 2 at 10:00 a.m.

Opening Week at The Palace of Auburn Hills begins on Wednesday, October 29 with the first game versus the Indiana Pacers at 8:00 p.m. followed by a match-up with the Washington Wizards on Saturday, November 1 at 7:30 p.m. Highlights of the Pistons home schedule include two home meetings against the NBA and Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics (November 9 and January 30), two meetings with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers (November 19 and February 1), two meetings with Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic (December 29 and March 9) and single-game match-ups with Kobe Bryant and the Western Conference Champion Los Angeles Lakers (March 26), the high-powered Phoenix Suns (February 8) and perennial power San Antonio Spurs (February 19). Rising superstar guard Chris Paul leads the New Orleans Hornets into the Palace for their only visit on January 17, while a late-January weekend homestand includes games against Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks (January 23) and Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets (January 25).. Download the entire 2007-08 schedule at www.pistons.com .

The 2008-09 season marks the 20th Anniversary of The Palace of Auburn Hills. Special promotional nights throughout the year include Friends and Family nights every Sunday home game as well as the popular Guys’ and Ladies’ Night Out promotion at Friday night home games. For more information regarding these promotions or becoming a member of the Detroit Pistons Crew (season ticket plan holders), please contact The Palace at (248) 377-0100 or log on to www.pistons.com.

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http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-3 ... rsday.html

Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle: "A moped. Monta Ellis put $66 million on a moped. Of course he did. Ellis blew up his ankle and will be lost to America's Favorite Ninth-Place Team for between two and four months, depending on whose diagnosis you believe. He did it while being what kids always believe themselves to be -- bulletproof. And while we get that Ellis was precluded in his contract from riding a moped and didn't want to blow his deal completely, the lie and the subsequent delay in revealing that lie made the whole incident look sinister, as though the moped story itself might just be a lie too."

[nasty daddy]

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-3 ... rsday.html

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: "Match the offer. It's not a no-brainer. It's not an easy call to make. But before media day on Monday, the Rockets need to send the offer sheet Carl Landry signed back to the Bobcats and say that they will be keeping Landry. He got himself a good deal, $9 million over three years, the last season at the team's option. The Rockets had offered about $5.4 million. The contract the Bobcats offered would put the Rockets' over the luxury tax line and adding Joey Dorsey will push them even further into tax territory. Do it, anyway."

[nasty daddy]

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-3 ... rsday.html

Ivan Carter of The Washington Post: "Juan Dixon was a free agent shooting guard without an NBA team this summer. But he ultimately found a home in a familiar place -- with the Washington Wizards, the team that drafted him out of the University of Maryland in 2002. Yesterday, Dixon repeatedly used the word 'comfortable' when describing how he felt after signing a one-year partially guaranteed contract with the team late Tuesday afternoon. 'I'm very excited,' Dixon said. 'It's a good opportunity to come back close to home and continue my career with the Wizards. I'm very comfortable. I'm very familiar with the system. There are a couple of players on the team who were here when I was here, so I'm very comfortable.'"

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http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-3 ... rsday.html

A. Sherrod Blakely of Booth Newspapers: "There are mornings when Joe Dumars arrives early at his office which overlooks the Detroit Pistons' practice court, and he sees Arron Afflalo drenched in sweat. 'It's been like that since he got here,' said Dumars, Detroit's president of basketball operations who drafted Afflalo in 2007. 'He's one of those players that you don't have to talk to about trying to get better. If you watch him play and watch how he prepares himself on a day-in, day-out basis, his work ethic is exactly what you want and need on your team.' As training camp will start next week, those early morning workouts should result in more playing time for the second-year guard."

[nasty daddy]

http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wireta ... d_and_law/

The Atlanta Hawks have exercised the contract options for the 2009-10 season on forward/center Al Horford and guard Acie Law, announced today by Executive VP/General Manager Rick Sund. Per team policy, financial terms were not disclosed.

A unanimous selection to the NBA All-Rookie First Team and runner-up for Rookie of the Year honors, Horford had an outstanding season in helping the Hawks reach the postseason for the first time in nine years. The first Atlanta pick to earn first team All-Rookie since Stacey Augmon in 1991-92, he nearly averaged a double-double a year ago, recording 10.1 points and 9.7 rebounds in 81 contests. During the playoffs, the 6-10 forward/center from Florida increased his totals, scoring 12.6 points and grabbing 10.4 rebounds in the seven games against Boston.

Despite battling injuries much of the 2007-08 campaign, Law was fifth among rookies in assists and third on the Hawks, to go along with 4.2 points per game. He saw action in 56 contests and is coming off a fine summer effort at the Rocky Mountain Revue, where he was named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 16.2 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.2 rebounds.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/20 ... gent-ross/

Looking to add maturity and defensive intensity on the wing, the Grizzlies will soon sign free agent Quinton Ross.

The 6-6, 193-pound swingman is expected to officially ink a minimum, non-guaranteed deal Friday. The Grizzlies open training camp Tuesday on their FedExForum practice court. Ross, 27, played the past four seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers. He dangled in free agency after the Clippers opted for more offense by acquiring Ricky Davis.

The Griz, though, aren't interested in Ross being an explosive scorer. Ross is being brought in because of his strong perimeter defense. He's effectively guarded the opponent's best shooting guard or small forward throughout a career in which he's averaged 21 minutes. Ross originally went undrafted in the 2003 NBA Draft after graduating from Southern Methodist University.

[nasty daddy]

Happy Birthday Chauncey Billups, who turns 32 years old today.

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http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hot ... 21605.html

After nearly three months of agonizingly slow negotiations, the Rockets needed just 24 hours to fly from no deal to done deal with second-year forward Carl Landry.

The Rockets matched the Charlotte Bobcats offer to Landry, worth $9 million over three years, believing it came in within the range they had budgeted, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said Thursday. “We’re going to match,” Morey said. “I think we had a long time to talk about what we felt like we wanted to do with Carl and this fell within that. It was an easy decision.”

Landry’s contract would push the Rockets past the $71.150 million salary threshold that would trigger a luxury tax, though Morey said he would work to reduce salary. He did not, however, believe signing Landry or the threat of a luxury tax would impact signing Dorsey by the end of the week.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/sp ... 15649.html

The Kings' push to secure a young core took another step forward on Thursday, as they agreed in principle to a contract extension for fourth-year swingman Francisco Garcia. According to a source with knowledge of the negotiations, the deal is for five years and $29.8 million. The fifth year of the deal is a team option, although it is believed it is partially guaranteed. The source requested anonymity because of the private nature of the talks.

Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie did not immediately return a call for comment, nor did Garcia's agent, Aaron Goodwin. The Kings had until Oct. 31 to complete an extension with Garcia, who would have become a restricted free agent next summer if he had not been extended. Garcia's career appeared to have stalled last summer, as his role under then-coach Eric Musselman was minimal in the 2006-07 campaign and he averaged less than 18 minutes per game. But in the first season under coach Reggie Theus - with whom Garcia played during his college years at Louisville - he flourished as a high-energy reserve. Garcia was given 26.3 minutes per game and proved worthy while averaging 12.3 points and shooting a career-high 46.3 percent from the field. He was utilized as an outside threat as well, hitting 39.1 percent from three-point range. His new contract will begin next season and concludes in the 2013-14 campaign.

The Kings just announced the extension for Francisco Garcia which was reported here this morning. It's official. "We are all gratified we were able to reach an agreement in principle with Francisco on a contract extension," Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie said in a statement. "He embodies a lot of qualities we feel are necessary for our team to continue to improve. He's a competitive leader and he's gotten better every year. We're looking forward to watching him grow even more this season."

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http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hot ... 21605.html

Dorsey’s agent Lance Young, in town to complete negotiations, said he and Morey have the framework of one-, three- and four-year deals and will determine in the next two days which contract works.

The team is also expected to sign veteran guard Von Wafer to a non-guaranteed contract in time for training camp.

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http://www.nypost.com/seven/09252008/sp ... 130721.htm

Allan Houston's second comeback is now official. The KnicksNew York Knicks announced today the 37-year-old guard has re-signed and will come to training camp in Saratoga for what he hopes will be a storybook ending to a career cut short by knee surgery during the 2004-2005 season.

The former All-Star sharpshooter came out of retirement last October but played in one exhibition game and put an end to it after a week, realizing he was not ready. Houston was hurt by missing the week-long training camp as he waited for the birth of his daughter. The Knicks also announced small forward Danny Grunfeld, former GM Ernie Grunfeld's son, will attend camp that begins at Skidmore College on Tuesday. Grunfeld was supposed to play on their summer-league team but got hurt. Houston has scrimmaged with the Knicks during voluntary workouts the past two weeks. "He looks a lot more prepared than last year," Jamal CrawfordJamal Crawford told The Post. "He's had more time to prepare for this. He's shooting unbelievably and he's a good presence to be around."

Houston's addition gives the Knicks 17 players for 15 spots. He still is considered a long shot to make it, but Mike D'Antoni loves offense, loves outside shooters. The knees, though, may prohibit Houston from playing much defense. "(Allan) can still shoot it better than anyone out there," point guard Chris Duhon said. Rookie Danilo Gallinari shook his head and made a "Sheesh" sound when Houston's name came up."He can shooooot," Gallinari said.

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http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/080925su ... l?rss=true

Lakers guard Sun Yue, who arrived in Los Angeles from China on Sunday, was taken to the emergency room of a local hospital last night after becoming ill. He has tested positive for mononucleosis, it was announced today by the team.

He is not expected to be ready to practice by Tuesday when the Lakers open training camp and will be out indefinitely. His condition will be monitored on a regular basis.

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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/ ... TE=DEFAULT

The Rockets matched the Bobcats' three-year, $9 million offer sheet for restricted free-agent Carl Landry on Thursday, keeping the forward in Houston. The Rockets took less than 24 hours to make the move, leaving Charlotte still searching for frontcourt depth before the start of training camp next week. "We obviously thought it was a good opportunity to get the guy," Bobcats general manager Rod Higgins said. "But it's part of the business."

The 6-foot-9 Landry had been unable to reach terms with Houston since free agency began this summer. His agent threatened that Landry could sign with an overseas team as the two sides haggled over money. The Bobcats stepped in with an offer Wednesday. But even with decent depth up front, Houston decided to keep Landry, who can play power forward and center. Houston acquired the second-round pick in a draft-night trade with Seattle last year. Landry averaged 8.1 points and 4.9 rebounds in 42 games. His playing time increased late in his rookie season after Rockets center Yao Ming was lost to injury. He scored 22 points in a game at Indiana and was voted to the all-rookie second team.

Landry's potential intrigued the Bobcats, who are looking to get help for last season's starters at power forward and center, Emeka Okafor and Nazr Mohammed. "We'll continue to look for ways to improve, that never changes," Higgins said. Some help could come from injury-riddled forward Sean May. Higgins said May should be close to full strength when new coach Larry Brown opens training camp. May missed all of last season after undergoing microfracture knee surgery. "Sean is working out and is starting to look comfortable out there," Higgins said. "He'll be ready to start on Tuesday."

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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/ ... TE=DEFAULT

Allan Houston signed with the New York Knicks on Thursday and will attempt another comeback with his former team. Houston is fourth on the Knicks' career scoring list, trailing only Hall of Famers Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier and Willis Reed. He will be in training camp next week with the franchise he led to the 1999 NBA finals. Forced to retire in October 2005 because of knee pain, Houston briefly tried a comeback last year with the Knicks. He didn't join the team until 10 days after practices began following the birth of a child, then played in only one exhibition game before ending his long-shot bid to make the team.

He'll be there from the start this time, but making the roster would still be difficult. Now 37, Houston hasn't played in an NBA game since 2005 and would have to show that his knees can handle the running involved in new coach Mike D'Antoni's uptempo system. Houston joined the Knicks in 1996 and made one of the most famous shots in franchise history, a running jumper in the closing seconds of the deciding Game 5 that gave New York an upset victory over top-seeded Miami in the first round off the 1999 playoffs. The Knicks went on to reach the finals, where they lost to San Antonio. A two-time All-Star and one of the league's best outside shooters, Houston signed a much-criticized $100 million, six-year contract extension in 2001 and averaged a career-best 22.5 points in 2002-03. But chronic knee soreness then limited him. He averaged only 11.9 points in 20 games his final season, his lowest total since he was a rookie.

Houston wore No. 20 in his nine seasons with the Knicks but will now wear No. 14 in honor of his father, Wade, one of the first African-American basketball players at the University of Louisville. "My father has been a great model of a man, and hopefully I can continue to carry what he taught me back to the court with the Knicks," Houston said in a statement. "Off the court, this is also symbolic to encourage men to be committed fathers as their role remains one of the most important factors in the lives of our youth."

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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/ ... TE=DEFAULT

LeBron James may wear a New York Yankees hat everywhere from his hometown of Akron to Beijing, but Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert thinks rampant speculation that the superstar will leave Cleveland in two years is "an insult to the city." Gilbert said James has given him no indication that he plans to leave for New York after his contract expires in 2010. He called the talk of his departure nothing more than conjecture from bored sports reporters. "It's kind of an insult to the city of Cleveland in my opinion - an insult to the Midwest," said Gilbert, who spoke to the media at the Cavaliers' suburban practice facility Thursday, a few days before the team opens training camp.James has two years remaining on a contract extension he signed with the Cavaliers in July 2006. He has said that he can't see himself playing anywhere else right now, and has declined to address what will happen in two years. But his fondness for New York has helped prompt speculation that he will leave Cleveland for the New York Knicks or the New Jersey Nets, who are partly owned by his good friend, rap mogul Jay-Z.

James riled Cleveland fans last October when he attended an Indians playoff game against New York wearing a Yankees cap. He was wearing one again earlier this month on the sideline of the Dallas Cowboys - another of his favorite teams - before the Browns' season opener.James' loyalty has been questioned by everyone in Cleveland from fans to newspaper columnists to Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards, who earlier this month said, "LeBron isn't a Cleveland guy. ... who knows if he even likes the Cavaliers?" Edwards backtracked a few days later, saying it was only a sarcastic joke. Speculation about James leaving escalated in the national media over the summer as he helped lead the U.S. Olympic basketball team to a gold medal in Beijing. "People in your profession are very bored on both sides of the country. There's no basketball going on so they write this stuff," Gilbert said.

Discussions on a contract extension for James are still two summers away, said Gilbert, who is entering his fourth season as the Cavs' owner. "I think we're one of the top organizations in the NBA," Gilbert said. "I think we're going to compete for a championship in the next year or two and we'll worry about that summer when it comes."Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry added that he understands the speculation about James in 2010, but that it's not the team's present focus. "We want to seize the opportunity we have in front of us right now," he said. The Cavaliers acquired point guard Mo Williams during the offseason, drafted forward J.J. Hickson and are largely returning with the team that lost to eventual champion Boston in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals last season. "I think we were literally closer last year than the year before," said Gilbert, referring to their first trip to the NBA finals, in which they were swept by San Antonio.

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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/ ... TE=DEFAULT

Chris Mullin hopes Monta Ellis learned something about maturity when a misadventure with a moped left the Golden State guard with a severely sprained ankle. The Warriors still haven't decided whether Ellis will feel that lesson in his wallet as well. Mullin, the Warriors' top basketball executive, and coach Don Nelson tried Thursday to stay out of the debate about whether the Warriors will fine Ellis for participating in an offseason activity prohibited in the guard's new six-year, $66 million contract. Ellis will miss training camp and at least several weeks of the regular season after injuring his left ankle last month in his native Mississippi.Mullin essentially confirmed a recent report in the San Francisco Chronicle that Ellis' injury occurred in a low-speed moped crash. Ellis initially told the team he was injured while playing hoops, only to change his story days later. "I don't think anyone felt like it was the best-case scenario," Mullin said of Ellis' shifting story. "There were some things that should have been done differently. I think he understands that. With all that said, now is the time for him to have our support. He did do something wrong and needs to be accountable for it, but I do think all the energy and effort goes into getting him healthy."

Ellis underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his ankle, but the team still isn't certain how long its top returning scorer must spend in rehabilitation. The Warriors can't even be sure Ellis will still have the speed and skill that helped him to average 20.2 points last season. Ellis is likely to miss a significant amount of the regular season, and Golden State must decide whether it's financially worthwhile to fine Ellis for his shenanigans at the risk of alienating the player expected to be the centerpiece of Nelson's offense this fall. Nelson claimed he wasn't aware of Ellis' shifting story during his summer relaxation in Maui, and Ellis hasn't responded to requests for comment. Warriors president Robert Rowell, who hasn't given interviews about Ellis' accident, released a noncommittal statement Thursday. "We have scheduled a meeting with Monta's representatives to take place within the next 7-10 days, and upon conclusion we will have a public announcement regarding our decision," Rowell said. Ellis' troubles have taken the camp spotlight off Mullin and Nelson, who both will head into the season in the final year of their contracts. Both men claim they have no worries about their futures at Golden State, and Nelson hasn't decided whether he even wants to coach after this season.

Both also seem eager to forgive Ellis so they can get to work preparing the remaining Warriors for life after Baron Davis, who defected to the Los Angeles Clippers after Golden State won 48 games but didn't make the playoffs last season. "Sometimes people learn more from experience than they do from questions and accusations and lectures," Mullin said. "Is it the best way to do it? No, I'm not saying that. It could have a long-term effect. Sometimes, it could be very bad ... but sometimes, how you handle things is as important as what happened." Ellis averaged career bests in points, rebounds (5.0) and assists (3.4) last season while emerging as a dependable shooter for the league's highest-scoring club. Ellis was expected to take over from Davis as Golden State's starting point guard, but his absence means newcomer Marcus Williams is likely to play the position at first. Ellis will return to the Bay Area from Mississippi when his doctor clears him to travel, likely in the next few days. He will do rehabilitation in Oakland while his teammates make a preseason trip to China and get started on a season that's exponentially tougher in his absence. Although Ellis delivered a blow to the Warriors' hopes of making a playoff run with their reconfigured roster, Mullin can even see a silver lining in that cloud hanging over the club's season. "I think he'll learn a lot about himself," he said. "He'll be able to draw back to it. I told him myself, if this could trigger him to really committing to an offseason program, then all of a sudden we've got a guy 24, 25, that's really got it together. We might be able to look back and be OK."

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http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2 ... artner=RSS

Another training camp, another point guard injury. Nuggets point guard Chucky Atkins underwent surgery on his right knee Wednesday to repair torn cartilage and clean out loose bodies. He’s expected to miss about six weeks, which would keep him out all of training camp, which begins Tuesday.

Atkins missed much of the preseason last October with a groin strain, an injury that kept him out for the first 1 1/2 months of the regular season. Later, he missed two months following sports hernia surgery.

The Nuggets last October also were without point guard Anthony Carter for the entire preseason and the first three weeks of the regular season due to a broken hand. But Carter recovered to have a fine regular season.“You could write an article on our injuries over the years,” said Nuggets coach George Karl. “It’s not been a smooth ride. I feel bad for Chucky because some of the guys (Nuggets personnel) went down to visit him in Orlando (his offseason home) about two or three weeks ago and they said he was in great shape. ... It was like a week ago (his knee) kind of locked up on him (a team statement said the injury occurred two weeks ago while playing pickup games). He’ll be back early enough to hopefully give him a big-time opportunity to help us.”

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http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2 ... artner=RSS

Karl hopes Atkins will be able to return early in the regular season, which begins Oct. 29 at Utah. With that in mind, Karl said the Nuggets expect to sign veteran free-agent point guard Mateen Cleaves and also are looking to bring to camp Jamon Gordon, a rookie from Virginia Tech who averaged 1.6 points and 1.2 assists for Denver’s summer-league team.

While Gordon isn’t considered much more than a camp player, Cleaves, 31, has played six NBA seasons. Cleaves hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since 2005-06, although the Nuggets had brought him in for a workout out in April 2007 before deciding instead to sign Carter for the remainder of that season.

Cleaves has NBA career averages of 3.6 points and 1.9 assists. The former Michigan State star played parts of the past two seasons with the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League.

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http://blog.oregonlive.com/blazers/2008 ... un_li.html

During Wednesday's media day at the Rose Garden, Trail Blazers General Manager Kevin Pritchard said the team will not sign Shaun Livingston. Former 76er Shavlik Randolph will sign a non-guaranteed contract, with the opportunity to battle for the remaining roster spot (along with Steven Hill, Luke Jackson and Jamaal Tatum).